For decades it was used in making thousands of products, from building material to clothes and toys, until some 50 years ago when it became well-known that it was also poisonous. What does asbestos poisoning actually mean? Many industrial fields have been making use of asbestos mainly for its durability, which is the material’s most important advantage and disadvantage at the same time. A human body has no means of disposing of asbestos, once it happens to be present.
Asbestos is quite harmless, on the condition it stays compound in the substance it is part of. What is dangerous for humans is inhaling the tiny needle-like asbestos fibers, when they get airborne. The problem of asbestos poisoning is that it has the same symptoms (dry cough, chest tightness or shortness of breath) as numerous other, less serious illnesses. Regarding also the long latency period, it often happens that the true cause of the sickness is found out only when it is too late.
Asbestos poisoning results in asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer, to name just the most common sicknesses. Asbestosis is caused by the lungs attempting to dissolve the asbestos fibers by creating acid, scaring the tissue, causing it to harden. Finally, breathing gets very difficult for the patient. Mesothelioma is an cureless sort of cancer, affecting the outer lining of the lungs. A person can get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos poisoning for just a very brief period or even accidentally, which is a major difference from asbestosis. More than 50 percent of all deaths from asbestos poisoning was evoked by asbestos-induced lung cancer. Nevertheless, if the diagnosis is determined correctly and the patient begins the treatment early, he/she is quite likely to lead an active life for many years after.
Asbestos in Canada Canada used to be one of the main producers of asbestos in the world. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still operating and Canada still supports asbestos use in less harmful variations. Until the 1980s, asbestos had been widely used in all office buildings, public buildings and schools, mostly for thermal, fire and sound insulation. The people who were most ‘at risk’ were mainly the workers installing asbestos materials, especially in cases where health and safety instructions were ignored. Then the dust from the installation process could escape into the air and people were breathing in the poisonous toxins. Canada still hasn’t banned the use of asbestos. Nevertheless, improvements have been achieved – Ontario banned using asbestos as insulation back in 1973. Asbestos has been predominantly removed from public buildings as a result of an effort by the local governments. There are also very tough guidelines for any work involving asbestos installation or removal.
Asbestos in Toronto What concerns asbestos in buildings, Ontario has very severe regulations, especially since 2007. Any suspicious material deteriorating in a building has to be presented by the landlord for an examination. There are professional companies that can remove the asbestos safely, if its presence is confirmed. If it is found out that the deterioration may continue, the professionals will remove the whole impacted area, again following severe safety regulations.
The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: – insulation on pipes – ceiling tiles – panels boards – cement panels – sprayed coatings on walls – asbestos ropes and cloth – textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: – exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty – all kinds of insulation – flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting – interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles – appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers A sufficient solution for the whole issue of asbestos hasn’t been discovered yet. The Sunrise Propane blast which took place previous year is still in our memories. Five streets were hit by asbestos debris and 3000 residents had to leave their homes until a complete and careful clear up of the region. The risk posed by asbestos is still here and local governments have to keep struggling with it. Nevertheless, the extent of this danger is very difficult to quantify. One of the reasons why it is so difficult is the fact that just 0.5% of asbestos in material is regarded as toxic.
Therefore, in case you have even the smallest suspicion that your property may be affected, ask for a house inspection by a qualified professional (you can easily find list of companies doing it in GTA region). Under no circumstances, you should try to deal with the suspect material on your own!
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